Sir Charles Hard Cider has a new home in Philadelphia! Visit Original 13 Ciderworks on American Street to try our cider, as well as a full selection of local craft beer, cocktails, farm to table food, and more.

Proudly Brewed in Philadelphia
By

Our Story

Our story begins over 70 years ago with my grandfather and the apple orchards of north-east Pennsylvania. My grandfather Charles grew up an orphan and spent his summers working the apple orchards as a way of making money. It was during this time he learned to brew the best tasting hard cider, made from fresh pressed local Pennsylvania apples. Over the next decades he perfected his techniques by brewing up an annual batch of cider using a 50 gallon drum he stored in his basement.

As a family tradition he would bottle his hard cider in milk jugs he collected over the course of the year, and then on Christmas Eve he would travel around his neighborhood leaving gallons of his fresh hard cider for his neighbors as gifts. When the winter nights got extra cold, he would often take some cider outside and let it freeze into what the locals called “Jersey Lightning” but we know it better as Applejack.

Me and Sir Charles, circa 1981

The original Sir Charles and I enjoying some drinks circa 2016

As I got older, I began to practice my home brewing and remembering the great cider my grandfather used to make. I learned from him the secrets of selecting the right apples and using the right yeast to make great cider. Now we bring the experience and passion of our family to you with a cider named after my grandfather, Sir Charles. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed making it.

John Kowchak
President
Original 13 Ciderworks
Makers of Sir Charles Hard Cider